Hey gang, just wanted to say HI! Looking for advice / support :o)

So I am new to all this although have tried RV before...I'm in the UK, Midlands and looking for support from locals and here on the forum of course, please read my ramblings as I have lost my way!!

I was always hungry and was told that I was not getting enough fats...?!

I feel the cold anyway but I was terribly miserable and looked knackered - my hubby pleaded with me to eat a hot meal!

Where I am now...

Over weight (Oh no, not again... another women with weight issues!)

I was actually fine until the end of last year when I had the contraceptive injection, I had two lots and gained 1.5 stone :o( (38 yrs old btw with 2 kids)

I came off it straight away and have yet to lose the weight... if anything I am getting heavier and mushy...

I am tired, not sleeping well so def not getting 8-10 hrs

Pretty stressed as working for myself, I'm a trainer and at this time feel a complete fraud as I can't shift the weight! My clients are doing great though.

I have no drive or passion to train, which probably comes from the lack of sleep...I know once I start to feel and look better (superficial I know!!),I'l feel like getting on with it! Motivated!

I am concerned about eating so much fruit and less veg.... I have been conventionally trained so protein and less carbs... clean eating, non processed but meat and more veg than fruit, paleo.

While this has worked in the past (and I wasn't hungry) I didn't have energy that I expected to have and there is a huge turn towards alkalising diets now... thats why I am here :o)

So after being recommended that I look in here and kindly being able to join I really want to embrace the life style - and I am looking for some straight talking to keep me on track. I have a supportive hubby but he does think that some of this stuff is Hippy s**t! Sweet of him!

This is really getting my down and reading some of the posts (I have been lurking around a week or so) about gaining weight eating fruit doesn't compute with me- its the last thing that I thought would happen....?? Clean foods...!?

So I am trapped, starting the day positively with fresh fruit and water (not my strong point either) and caving by the end...endless circle... I did Jason Vale for a week and lost a few pounds... but again was hungry so stuck with the most filling juice... with avocado in...

I also work odd hours and I am really hungry after my classes so eat 9-10pm at night... then don't go to bed as I am too awake from teaching and eating!

Can be up at 6am for classes and teach about 9+ sessions a week, not training for myself much as simply cant be bothered... lonely training on your Todd! Unmotivated...

I think Kaz mentioned starting wih changing one meal at a time over the weeks... is the way to go or should I just jump in??

It is a general recommendation to eat a minimum of 3000 calories a day. More if you're active. 10 Large bananas is 1000 calories. Dates are also high calorie foods. About 66 calories per date if my memory serves me correctly. Also make sure you are drinking enough water. Usually at least 2litres a day. If you are peeing clear then you are hydrated. If it's straw or yellow then you are dehydrated. Frequency is usually 10-12 times over a 24hour period.

Fruit is the most easily digested food you can eat. In time your stomach will stretch to accomadate the volume of food that is consumed on 811 and it will be easier to eat enough. As DR said..Go to bed with a belly like buddha and wake up like ghandi :)

From what I have found, bananas really make me need to drink so mix with other fruit meals, (maybe mono, maybe 1 or 2 fruits) Dates are a bit too much of a sugar rush with me needing to lose weight and they give me dopey times. I will not do a mono nana day again until I am slimmer.

For the most energetic meals, I like 5 nanas in a smoothie with a papaya or mango, topped by a 5 nana smoothie with about 100g spinach or 1 head of romaine lettuce; a sort of banana spinach swirl.

I get my 3000 cals most days easily with these meals (3 off). But, the dehydration (because of the nanas) for me is pervasive.

Dehydration was the worst thing to ruin my sleep and give me indigestion (that took some detective work and was due to the nanas making me need more water even though I dilute the smoothie).

I now have time to snack on fruit and am craving oranges and whole fruit now. This morning my cantalope was ripe and sweet and got demolished in 10 mins, yum.

Have made it around the supermarket loads without snacking more than once (cheap sandwich) and today felt hungry so stopped, checked out M&S Stop and go and didn't find anything that appealed more than fruit even the the dates sitting on the front seat of my car were a second choice. Result!

But I had already given up alcohol, dairy, coffee and (apart from the odd binge on danishes) wheat for several years.

I can recommend Jack Black's soothing Scot's voice for a meditation or a light and sound brain trainer (Alpha and Beta programs) to help the sleep. I have lent mine out numerous times to astounded people (the latest chap has broken it) I found it via a runner's mag years ago. The amount of times disbelievers have woken up fully clothed on the sofa at 8am is priceless. I don't need it too often now, luckily.

An important thing is not to keep second guessing yourself, if you always consider you have a bolt hole (deprived of food) rather than a 'normal' meal (old food) whilst you are transitioning you will not start to appreciate what you are eating (fruit) and will start to consider fruit the enemy.

Let it sneak up on you as a joy rather than a chore.

I've always left my most fatty meal, if there is one to last in the day as then I have longest to digest it but this would depend on your schedule and working late at night I would switch to solely fruit so I could eat anything without an upset tum.

Now I have use a calorie and nutrient logger for a few weeks, I lay out my ripe fruit needs and use them to eat as I will rather than having to log every gram. That way I can mix and match or snack if I want.

Interesting the note re bananas making you thirsty. I'm exploring the newbie forums for the answer to "Why am I eating more fruits than ever (including melons) AND drinking more water than ever 2 litres a day - yet I'm STILL thirsty?" Now I know the answer!

I'm happy to drink more, just needed to know that it was a usual thing, not a bad thing! I woke and drank a litre of water before breakfast (a whole watermelon - half as juice, the other half eaten whole) and I've had another litre now - just before my banana smoothie lunch!

I'm new to this too, Michelle, but I'm taking it one day at a time. I'm not worrying about what I'll do tomorrow, just what I'm putting in my mouth today. I feel well, have lost two pound (I'm on day 3) and 1.2% body fat. More importantly, I'm not craving or bingeing......and I'm not hungry! Yay!

Yeah, I've not managed a day over 1800 yet, and I am NOT restricting - I just can't eat enough - even in smoothie format - and sometimes I'm just not hungry! I've added dates though and that bumps up the cals a bit.

I'm still only 2lbs down (on day 6 now) and would like to lose. Yes, I know it's healthier etc, but I've got my Xmas weight to lose and it needs to go soon! I'm not craving anything, and the smell and thought of some foods are making me nauseous. I was tempting myself with choc today in Tesco, but the thought of that creamy texture made me feel ill. I passed the chippy on the way home and nearly heaved. Now, I am a binger and craver, so this was amazing to me!!